Eat those veggies! Scientists have found that a constituent (DIM) in some vegetables is protective against cancers. So include broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage in your diet. You can even saute it them in olive oil for breakfast! Read on . . .
AANP via Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – Vegetable Compound Protects Tissues Against Radiation – (Monday, October 21, 2013)–Scientists have reported that a compound known as DIM, found in a class of vegetables known as cruciferous or brassica, may protect normal tissue during radiation therapy or during a nuclear plant accident or mitigate against radiation sickness. (The compound, known as DIM, which is short for 3,3′-diindolylmethane, is derived from cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli.) Mice and rats were irradiated once with a lethal dose of gamma ray radiation and then treated with a daily injection of DIM for two weeks. All of the untreated rats died, but well over half of the DIM-treated animals were still alive thirty days after the radiation exposure. DIM provided radiation protection whether the first injection was administered 24 hours before, or up to 24 hours after, radiation exposure. This study points to two potential uses of the cruciferous compound. DIM might protect normal tissues in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer. It might also protect against lethal consequences of a nuclear disaster. This research was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The complete version of this study is now available online at http://tinyurl.com/lrw5svk without cost.